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Learning in Classes

How to join a class, participate in live group lessons, use class chat, and complete class assignments.

Who this is for

Students learning in group classes, conversation clubs, or cohort-based courses.

What this page answers

  • How do I join a class using an invite link or PIN?
  • How does persistent Class Chat keep me connected with my teacher and classmates?
  • When do class lessons and homework unlock?
  • How does the phone mini-window, pinch resize, and live video call work?
  • How does live shared vocabulary ("New word" card) save words automatically?

Prerequisites

  • An active student account on Locuto.PRO (or joining as a guest via link)
  • An invitation or link from your teacher or school

Joining a Class

You can join a class in several ways:

  1. Email Invitation: Click the link in your invitation email to join the class automatically.
  2. Direct Class Link: Your teacher shares a direct invite link taking you to the class join page.
  3. Permanent Live Link & PIN: If joining as a guest, click your class link, enter your name, and enter the 6-digit PIN. Your browser receives a secure 30-day class pass so you won't need to re-enter the PIN on that device.
  4. Action Tile in the Class Hub: In the Class hub (/platform/studies), a row of three equal action tiles sits above your classes:
    • Start on your own (launch self-study)
    • Set an exam goal
    • Join a class (enter an invite code or link)
  5. Catalog Class Booking: You can book a seat for an upcoming group class meeting directly from a teacher's profile in the teacher directory (/teachers). See Finding a Teacher.

Class Seat Limits: Some classes have a capacity limit. If you open a link and see that the class is full, contact your teacher or school to request an available seat.

Persistent Class Chat

Every class has a single, persistent Class Chat stream that stays active before, during, and after your lessons:

  • Where to Access:
    • The Class chat button sits at the top right of the class header (on the teacher line, or next to the class title while loading) so you can jump into the class conversation with one click.
    • From the desktop Messages rail destination or mobile Me → Messages.
    • From the class card on your Today dashboard, the pre-class Waiting Room, the Live Classroom Dock, or during post-class wrap-up.
  • Rich Interaction: Mention classmates or teachers with @mentions, express yourself with emoji reactions, and attach up to 4 photos.
  • Real-Time Presence: See who is currently active with live online status dots and an active member count.
  • Posting Modes:
    • In standard mode, everyone in the class can write and reply.
    • In Only staff writes announcement mode, only teachers and school staff post announcements, while students can still read updates and add emoji reactions.

When Class Lessons Open

In live meeting classes:

  • Slide-In Lesson Sheet: Clicking a lesson opens a slide-in lesson sheet displaying the lesson's cover image, full scheduled date, and status.
  • Locked Lessons & Unlock Dates: Future locked lessons show the exact date they unlock (for example, "This step opens on November 3.").
  • Mobile Drag-to-Close: On mobile phones, the lesson sheet slides up from the bottom and can be dismissed by dragging down on the top grab handle.
  • Unlocking on Teacher Start: Lesson documents and linked homework unlock when your teacher clicks Start class inside the live classroom.
  • Advance Notices: You receive an assignment notice 24 hours before the session alerting you to the upcoming topic, and a 5-minute reminder notification before start time.
  • Missed Meetings: If a scheduled class does not take place, the lesson remains closed until your teacher opens it for independent study or shifts it to your next meeting.

Class View: Lesson List & Visual Trail

On Today, your enrolled classes are listed under To do as full-width class cards (one class card per row across all screen sizes), each with an Open the class button.

When you open a class:

  • Lesson List by Default: Opening a class shows your lesson list by default, organized into clear to-do rows grouped by unit. Completed lessons display "You finished this", and lessons without a scheduled date display "The date is not set yet".
  • Class View Switch (List / Trail): You can switch between the list and the visual path anytime using the Class view switch (List / Trail).
  • The Visual Trail: When viewing the Trail:
    • Camps as Unit Entrances: Each curriculum Unit begins with an illustrated campsite pitched at its entrance.
    • Start and Finish Milestones: The visual trail ribbon leads from your first day to a checkered Finish flag below your final class.
    • Upcoming Milestone Lessons: Scheduled class meetings appear as milestone nodes with their local dates and times.
    • Satellite Homework: Homework tasks branch directly off their corresponding class lesson as satellites, making it clear which assignment belongs to which session.
  • Shared Back Navigation: Both the class page and the Class hub (/platform/studies) have a top-left Back link that returns you directly to Today (/platform), preserving your scroll position and filters when navigating back.

Live Video Classes & The Waiting Room

When it is time for class:

Open the Class

Click the class meeting from your Today screen or Schedule. Enrolled students enter directly — no PIN is ever required.

Enter the Waiting Room & 5-Minute Camera Preview

You can enter the waiting room early before your scheduled class begins:

  • A live countdown displays the time remaining until the scheduled start, and you can chat with classmates in the waiting room chat stream.
  • 5-Minute Pre-Start Camera Preview: Starting 5 minutes before the scheduled class time, an Enter room button appears in the waiting overlay. Clicking Enter room opens your camera preview with a "Waiting for your teacher" badge so you can check your video and framing before the call begins.
  • Automatic Join When Class Starts: If your camera preview is open when your teacher clicks Start lesson, you are joined into the live video call automatically without any extra confirmation dialog. (If you closed the camera preview before class started, you will see the standard Join lesson button once the teacher starts the session.)

Floating Video Call, Phone Mini-Window & External Video Links

Learning on a mobile phone provides a flexible video experience:

  • 16:9 Mini-Window: The video call appears as a draggable 16:9 floating window that snaps cleanly to the corners of your screen.
  • Two-Finger Pinch Resize: You can resize the floating mini-window using a two-finger pinch gesture (from a compact 112 px width up to 70% of your screen width). The platform remembers your preferred size across calls.
  • Keyboard Avoidance: When typing in exercises or chat, the mini-window automatically repositions itself above the on-screen keyboard so nothing is blocked.
  • Collapse to Pill: You can collapse the mini-window into a compact floating pill when you need full-screen space for document reading.
  • Full-Screen Call Stage: Tapping the mini-window expands into the full-screen Call Stage with Speaker View for focused face-to-face discussion.
  • Classes Using an External Video Call: If your teacher configured the class to use an external call service (such as Google Meet or Zoom) instead of the built-in video call, the green call button on the bottom bar displays "Open video call" (or "Open video call in Google Meet" / "Open video call in Zoom") and opens the external call in a new browser tab while you continue working together on the live lesson page.

Live Shared Vocabulary ("New Word" Card)

During class, whenever your teacher translates and shares a word from their translation card:

  • When your teacher shares a word using "For students" without typing a custom translation, the platform automatically looks up the dictionary translation in your own native language and adds it to your personal Vocabulary.
  • If your teacher types a custom translation, that specific translation appears on your card and in your dictionary.
  • An animated "New word" card appears at the top of your screen displaying the term, translation, native audio pronunciation (and Pinyin for Chinese).
  • Tapping the audio icon lets you listen immediately.
  • The word is automatically saved to your personal Vocabulary dictionary and increments the vocabulary counter in your live dock.

Individual Work in Live Classes

When your teacher starts an Individual work exercise block:

  • You receive a private copy labeled "Your work".
  • Your answers are private to you and your teacher.
  • Answers auto-save in real time so your progress is never lost.
  • If your teacher chooses to spotlight your work with Show to class, you can collaborate live on the shared screen.

Q&A

Can I belong to more than one class?

Yes. You can participate in multiple classes at once (for example, a general grammar cohort and a conversation club).

What happens if I miss a live session?

By default, classes allow absent students to open missed lesson materials: you will see the missed lesson on your class list/trail and Schedule with an "Open materials" button so you can review the completed lesson document, exercises, and whiteboard notes anytime (if your school has turned off missed-lesson access for that class, the lesson will explain that materials for missed sessions are closed). If your teacher recorded the session, the recording also appears in your class materials.

On this page

Who this is forWhat this page answersPrerequisitesJoining a ClassPersistent Class ChatWhen Class Lessons OpenClass View: Lesson List & Visual TrailLive Video Classes & The Waiting RoomOpen the ClassEnter the Waiting Room & 5-Minute Camera PreviewFloating Video Call, Phone Mini-Window & External Video LinksLive Shared Vocabulary ("New Word" Card)Individual Work in Live ClassesRelated pagesQ&ACan I belong to more than one class?What happens if I miss a live session?